The Rakehell's Reform (Signet Regency Romance) [Mass Market Paperback]

Elisabeth Fairchild (Author)

Book Description

Series: Signet Regency Romance | Publication Date: December 1, 1996

A notorious rake with a reputation for conquest over naive young women and a lady with family money but no station begin a game of cat-and-mouse in which each tries to outmaneuver the other for what they want.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Dazed when he loses the family fortune at cards, infamous rakehell Jack Ramsay seeks solace in music and ends up crashing Selina Preston's ball just so he can play the cello. Third in the "Ramsay Family" series, this poignant, lyrically written story features one of Fairchild's (The Love Knot, Signet Regency, 1995) most intriguing heroes to date-an unlikely red-headed rake with a musical soul-and pairs him with a perceptive, courageous heroine who sees through the facade and loves him. Also included is good historical detail on the silk and salt trade of the early 1800s. Fairchild lives in Dallas, Texas.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Elisabeth Fairchild is half English and considers the British Isles her second home. With a degree in advertising from North Texas State University, Fairchild worked for ten years in advertising before writing full-time. She lives just outside Dallas with her best friend and husband, George, and their two dogs.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Signet (December 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451191226
• ISBN-13: 978-0451191229
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,355,786 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fate has mercy., August 29, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Rakehell's Reform (Signet Regency Romance) (Mass Market Paperback)

This is the conclusion of the trilogy about the Ramsay family. Jack Ramsay is the rakehell that began it all by losing the entire family fortune. This story begins in the exact same instant the first did. Creditors now hound Jack. In his flight, Jack helps rid the Navy of a traitor. Then winds up as the master of music for Selina Preston. As he taught Selina how to play instruments, he also began his inner battle to reform his gambling ways.

Selena fell in love with Jack the night of her ball. The night would have been a complete failure if Jack had not shown up, uninvited, to play the cello in an attempt to pour out his misery. He was everything she loved and everything she despised in one.

Since Selena's family was so wealthy, and Selena was such a failure as a music student, her father decided to see if Jack would attempt to teach her. Throwing them together ended up bringing out the best in both of them.

***This one was good, but not as good as the first two. Jack's story tied up all the lose ends in a marvelous way. Once again Fate shows she has sweet mercy.***

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Seductive elegance . . ., July 7, 2000

By 

kellytwo "kellytwo" (cleveland hts, ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rakehell's Reform (Signet Regency Romance) (Mass Market Paperback)

If a Regency Romance is a 'seduction with words', as I once heard an editor so describe the genre, then Elisabeth Fairchild is a seductress, par excellence! One can easily become inebriated by the sheer exuberance of her word-play, let alone the clever plots and endearing characters of her creation.

Following the success of THE LOVE KNOT about Aurora Ramsay and her battle-wounded brother Rupert (Rue), and LORD RAMSAY'S RETURN about older brother Charles,(Rash) the talented author now gives us one of the two remaining Ramsays--Jack, or Rakehell, whose story slightly pre-dates that of Aurora. Only Roger, (who is called Ruin because of his poxy illness) is left out of this series, although all the siblings feature (at least obliquely) in all the books.

Jack's weakness is gaming, and in one momentous evening, after having lost the family fortune entrusted to him by Charles, Jack next wins a wager by playing the cello at a come-out ball given by a Mushroom, and then, in company with Ruin, while scouting out a nest of thieves on the seedy, dark docks along the Thames, shoots and kills his best friend, not entirely by mistake.

To Selina Preston, the Mushroom's only and much-beloved child, Jack's appearance at her ball awakens feelings she never knew resided within her. She succumbs to the charms of the music as well as the charming, red-haired rogue, who turns her ball from a lonely nothing to the most talked-about event of the week.

Hired as her music master, Jack eagerly escapes London, only to fall head-long into a greater gamble--love. Selina also wagers, much against her better judgment, and not until the last page do we discover who finally wins.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An emotional look at the creative, artistic side of life, May 17, 2000

By 

Kimberly Borrowdale (Oregon USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Rakehell's Reform (Signet Regency Romance) (Mass Market Paperback)

Jack Ramsay has just lost his entire family's fortune on the turn of a card--and before he's even outside his club, this gossip has been added to his reputation that has named him Rakehell Ramsay. Nevertheless he can't resist another wager, and on such, goes to the debut ball of a merchant's daughter and plays the cello--which brings guests in from the streets and turns a failed come-out into a great success.

Selina Preston knows her father just wants the best for her, but she would prefer to marry for love than to marry one of the high-born fortune hunters who comes to her ball only interested in her dowry and her father's money.

When Mr. Preston hires Jack as Selina's music master, both Jack and Selina are determined to not be thrown together by Mr. Preston's machinations. But Selina is drawn to Jack's gorgeous, emotional music, and Jack is awed and impressed by Selina's talented sketches of the real side of him.

Elisabeth Fairchild has penned another winner, full of heart-throbbing emotion. Her descriptions of Jack's music are glorious--another example of a heart-felt look at the creative, artistic side of life. THE RAKEHELL'S REFORM is a story worthy of the Ramsey family line.

Kimberly Borrowdale, Under the Covers Book Reviews